Stunning improvements in urban air quality in American cities starting to slow and in danger of reversing

Oliver Milman provides an important article in The Guardian about the current situation in the United States relating to climate change, urban air quality and the low-carbon energy transition. Readers will be amazed to know the gains that have been made in the US in recent decades. They will also be concerned that those gains … Continue reading Stunning improvements in urban air quality in American cities starting to slow and in danger of reversing →

How 885 cities in Europe are addressing climate change

In the most comprehensive survey to date, over 30 researchers investigated the local climate plans of 885 cities in Europe. Oliver Heidrich, Senior Researcher in Urban Resource Modelling at Newcastle University and Diana Reckien, Associate Professor for Climate Change and Urban Inequalities at University of Twente provide a summary of the results in an article … Continue reading How 885 cities in Europe are addressing climate change →

Understanding the benefits in switching to renewable energy

Ben Smee discusses in The Guardian about a new report in Australia that explains what the benefits will be by a shift to renewable energy. Hopefully the energy transition also included significant improvements in energy efficiency. It would be good to know.   Shift to renewables would save Australians $20bn a year – report A … Continue reading Understanding the benefits in switching to renewable energy →

Developing countries still struggling to get sufficient funding for climate change measures

Climate change is a global concern. Unfortunately many of the most vulnerable countries are also amongst the poorest. The north has made commitments to provide funding but, as Fiona Harvey explains in The Guardian, the funding is well behind their pledges.   Climate change aid to poor nations lags behind Paris pledges Finance for poor … Continue reading Developing countries still struggling to get sufficient funding for climate change measures →

Barclays Bank makes new move into sustainable finance

The Climate Action website provides a news item about Barclay’s Bank announcing a new green trade loan for businesses. Climate Action works in a unique, contractual partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).   Barclays unveils new ‘green trade loans’ for businesses Barclays’ annual general meeting in London may have been disrupted by climate … Continue reading Barclays Bank makes new move into sustainable finance →

Encouraging developments in Sweden to promote electric vehicles

Zachary Shahan writes on the CleanTechnica website about recent policy changes in Sweden that will encourage more electric vehicles.   New Swedish Car Policies Expected To Boost Electric Car Market Share In Sweden The Swedish government has just proposed a new taxation scheme on light vehicles to go into place on the first of July, … Continue reading Encouraging developments in Sweden to promote electric vehicles →

Latest update on climate adaptation finance

The SDG Knowledge Hub of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides the April update on global developments in climate adaptation finance prepared by Beate Antonich.   Adaptation Finance Update: Green Bonds on the Rise but Will Adaptation Projects Benefit? The global green bond market is growing, and is expected to reach US$250-300 billion … Continue reading Latest update on climate adaptation finance →

Climate data from more than half of unclassified Earth-observing satellites restrict access

This is not a normal article for EiD, but it is interesting as all of us, one way or another, rely on climate data. Mariel Borowitz, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology explains in an article on The Conversation website about the restricted availability of climate data from unclassified Earth-observing satellites. … Continue reading Climate data from more than half of unclassified Earth-observing satellites restrict access →

The mixed record of reducing urban heat

Heavily urbanised areas within cities are between 1℃ and 3℃ hotter than other areas, as most of us understand so well. Tiziana Susca, Research Fellow and Francesco Pomponi, Vice Chancellor's Research Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University write in an article on The Conversation website about the importance of reducing urban heat but the mixed record … Continue reading The mixed record of reducing urban heat →